Aaaah... Tokyo, my new BFF.  I am so sad that we will leaving you today.  When will I see you again?  I feel as though we were just starting to get to know you.
Alas, we lay around all morning, looking East as the sun rose over Tokyo.  We watched some TV, read the paper (farewell Maggie Thatcher and hands off that button North Korea!) and had a swim before packing and heading out to see our new BFF again.  We asked the Hotel to babysit the luggage until the late afternoon and booked the airport shuttle for 3:50pm.

We took off on the subway, Ginza line to Ueno park to the unfinished business of the Museum disctrict.  First some sushi lunch on the 7th floor above the subway station.

When you arrive at a Sushi restaurant, the chefs herald your arrival with Japanese cheers and greetings making you feel mildly important.  We ordered varions on a sushi theme including Green Tea, Miso and a little salad for the unbleivable price of AUD8.80.

The sushi chef stands just in front of us crafting sushi as though he is speaking to us in sign language.  Expertly fashioning the rice and fresh raw fish with calm competent dexterity.  The food, once again was fantastic. Refreshed, full tummied we headed to the park where there are no less that 7 museums and galleries and the zoo!  More cheers and farewells from all the staff upon our departure.

The Museum of Western Art (below - building designed by Le Corbusier) has a large collection of French Impressionist art.  In one room alone there were 12 Monets including Waterlillies and Irises.  Just what I needed - some calm, patient and quiet Japan.  Next we headed to the National Science and Nature Museum to see all the usual taxidermied animals and dinosaur skeletons as well as the full 360 degree sphere theatre where you stood on the inside of an enormous globe and were in one moment flying through space and the next plunged into the deep.  Spectacular, the kind of fun you long to share with children.

Now at the end of our energy reserves we sat in the cafe for a spell before working up the energy to subway it home.  We stopped at Starbucks for one last recharge before heading to the airport shuttle.

The airport is about 80 km from the city - just over an hour.  We mooched and tried desperately to stay awake before heading home on the overnight flight, read: sleep, gratifying hedonistic sleep.  We arrived home at 715 am just in time to see the kids before they headed off to school. 

So exhausted but with a brain overflowing with fabulous memories that will last a life time.  Thank you to the best husband in the world for the best present ever.  Sayonara Tokyo... we'll be back.